Sun name new head coach

The Okanagan Sun's new head coach was introduced to the media Tuesday morning.
Thirty-nine year-old Gavin Lake becomes the 13th coach in Okanagan Sun history.  Lake
joins the team after Jason Casey stepped down last month to take a job at Queen's University.
"I love the fact that this organization is committed to winning. They are looking outside the box. They have recognized what they have done over the last couple of years hasnt perhaps yielded the ultimate prize. It has been to long. It has been over 12 years, so it is time to get back to national promenience."
The native of Newmarket, Ontario most recently coached in Europe in the Austrian second division.

Brown has no choice but to root for Canucks

Adam Brown admits he's a Vancouver Canucks fan.


The Kelowna Rockets goaltender has no other choice.

Brown's father, Newell, is an assistant coach for the most hated team in the National Hockey League.

Brown says he will be cheering on his dad and the Canucks in their quest for a Stanley Cup.

"It is not just another team playing out there. Obviously a family member wants to win and the kind of living he is making is dependant on the team winning or losing. It is a little more stressful but it also a little more fun too".

Who is Adam Brown's favourite Canucks player?

Without hesitation he says it is Alex Burrows because he is one of the hardest workers on the ice.

Rockets goaltending coach knowns Quick well

If the Los Angeles Kings upset the Vancouver Canucks in the opening round of the NHL playoffs, it will have to do with the play of goaltender Jonathan Quick.

Quick is arguably one of the best young goaltenders in the game and should be considered for the Vezina Trophy.

Quick is no stranger to Kelowna resident Kim Dillabaugh.

Dillabaugh worked with Quick in the minors for over two years as a goaltending consulting with the Kings before the 26 year-old starred at the NHL level.

"He has put a lot of time and effort and has worked at his game for a lot of years to give himself an opportunity. The big thing for him (Quick) is his main concern is to win hockey games and win a Stanley Cup."

Dillabaugh says Quick's competitive nature and cool demeanor have served him well in developing into one of the premiere goaltenders in the NHL.

"He is the ultimate competitor in terms of keeping pucks out of the net whether it is in practice or a skate around.  He is not an individual that likes pucks to go by him"    

Dillabaugh splits his duties as a goaltender coach with the LA Kings and the WHL's Kelowna Rockets.

Bulmer ready to help AHL team earn playoff birth

Brett Bulmer will be in the Houston Aeros line up this weekend as the American Hockey League team pushes for a playoff spot.

Bulmer was assigned to the Aeros by the Minnesota Wild after his season came to an end with the Kelowna Rockets.

Aeros General Manager Jim Mill says Bulmer will be a welcome addition to his team.

"He (Bulmer) was huge in last years Calder Cup playoff run. He came in as a junior player and did a great job for us. He is a key part of our future, and now that his junior season is over, he is a key part of our present".

Bulmer spent the playoffs with the Aeros last season, playing in eight games.

"Brett's success in the NHL and the American Hockey League will be dictated by what he does. This kid is a great prospect and he has a bright future ahead of him", Mill added.

The 19 year-old was a second round NHL pick of the Minnesota Wild in 2010.

Hamilton and Huska speak on AM 1150

Kelowna Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton and Head Coach Ryan Huska join us on AM 1150 Monday morning from 9 am until 10 am.
If you have a comment for the coach, you can call 250-862-2525. 

Huska speaks after series loss

What would you pin point the series loss too?

"We had a hard time with the line. No matter what we tried we had a hard time matching up against that line (Bartschi - Rattie - Noebels). Some of the decisions that we made while we were out there against them were not the smartest decisions when you are playing up against a line like that. That line did about 90 percent of their goal scoring in this series and we didn't have an answer for them in regards to shutting them down. We do a pretty good job against them and then we make one little mental mistake and they kill you."

What will this do for your young defensive core. What won't kill them will make them stronger?

"I think that is the strength of our team. Our back end right now. When you look at our group, it was 16 and 17 year-old's on the back end and Myles Bell and MacKenzie Johnston are 18. I think they are the most intelligent players on our team. They make good decisions as to when to jump into the play. I think they are smart enough to allows us to be more active with our back end next year and I really think those will be the guys that are going to generate, or help generate, a lot of offense for us. They have good instincts and good hockey sense and once they grow a little bit more and mature, and use some of the lessons they learned in this series, I think they are going to be very good - as a group - in the future."

Talk about the loss of Mitchell Chapman. Your oldest player didn't play a game in the series?

"Everyone talks about 19 or 20 year old players. You need your older guys at this time of the year. They are the guys that are able, or are physically able to handle the heavier minutes. Mitchell (Chapman) is also one of those guys, I am willing to bet, would have gotten a few good hits on one of those two guys over the course of the series, so it is difficult to lose your older most experienced defenceman."

What did you say to the players after the loss?

"We go in there after every game. It is tough after the game because you have that pit in your stomach. You see the guys. The eyes of some of the older players, they know what happens at this time of the year that everybody goes their separate way. I told them that I thought they competed at the end. I thought it was good that they didn't roll over these last couple of games here at home against a very good team."

What was it like to coach this group, the youngest team ever in Rockets history?

"This was the hardest year for me for sure, by far. Maybe I underestimated even the youth...the amount of youth in regards to our practices. I think their were times over the course of the year that they froze a few times and didn't play the way I feel they were capable of. That is a learning experience for me and a challenge finding the fine line between really pushing hard and getting a player to lose his confidence. I think in the five years I have been a head coach here their has been something different every year that we have had to deal with. You become a better coach for it."

Brett Bulmer played his final game in a Rockets uniform and he ended his career on a high note?

"He skated hard. I thought he was physical. He was able to keep his focus with him. That is the thing with Brett. When he wants to play the game he is a dangerous and special player. When he sometimes lets his emotions or his frustrations get the best of him, that's when he struggles and that's what we saw in game two when he ended up taking that suspension. He is a special player when he going and playing the way he is capable of. He skated very well, he has great size and he can do a lot of good things on the ice".

Outside of the obvious player graduations, do you expect this team to look differently next season?

"That's really Bruce (Hamilton) and Lorne's (Frey) call. As coaches it is our responsibility to make them into players and get this team to perform well. Bruce and Lorne always get us the people that we need to work with. I think as always their is going to be some movement. We are disappointed in the season we had in regards to where we finished the regular season. I think we could have had five to seven more wins over the course of the regular season and we would have maybe not faced Portland in the first round. I think you look at things in every area and if their are things that we want to make changes in, then somethings will be addressed over the summer. I know one concern that Bruce (Hamilton) has is the size of our team. The size of our group is still small. I think at this time of the year it is hard for the smaller guys to play through. You look at the bigger teams, they are typically the ones that move on and have a lot of success. I'm not saying that a smaller guy can't do it, but those smaller players have to very tenacious".

Rockets season ends

The Kelowna Rockets season ends with a 5-3 loss to the Portland Winterhawks.  Hawks win the series in four games. 
More later.

WHL comments on Bulmer's suspension

Here is my conversation with the Vice President of Hockey for the WHL, Richard Doerksen, on the decision to suspend Brett Bulmer for one game:    

"Obviously a lot of thought went into it. There were a couple of things that were integral into the decision. We were fortunate their was no injury to the opponent. He (Wrenn) was able to play for Portland in last night's game, so that was great to see from that perspective. Secondly, going on Brett Bulmer's record in our league. He (Bulmer) has not been suspended by us before so he certainly is not in the repeat offender category which would have certainly increased the suspension. We are certainly concerned with how the game went and clearly he took a number of penalities and several for kneeing. I've had a real good conversation with the owner and general manager of the Kelowna Rockets and made sure he is clear that we (WHL) won't tolerate a similar situation tomorrow night when he returns as we did the other night."

Question: Did you just look at the one kneeing major in your decision making, or the events that led to that?

 "You do take into context that he did have kneeing penalties in the game and that is a real concern because I find it to be a very dangerous play. Certainly the one in question, the major and game misconduct, was the correct call. If the opponent had been injured and not been able to play last night, the suspension would have been longer."   

Bulmer back in

Brett Bulmer will be back in the Kelowna Rockets line up tomorrow night in game four of their opening round series with the Portland Winterhawks.


The Western Hockey League made it official today.

Bulmer served that one game suspension last night in the Rockets 6-3 loss.

Bulmer was suspended after receiving a 5 minute major for kneeing in Saturday's 4-0 loss in Portland.

The 19 year-old led the Rockets in goals (34) and was named the team MVP.

Best effort of series translates into another loss

• It was the Kelowna Rockets best effort of the series. Unfortunately it still wasn't good enough to beat the Portland Winterhawks. Ty Rattie and Sven Bartschi each had two goals and two assists as the Hawks moved within one game of eliminating the Rockets in the opening round of the playoffs. Game four is Thursday night at Prospera Place. 

• The Hawks top line of Rattie, Bartschi and Marcel Noebels combined for 11 points in the win. Rattie now has six goals in the series, as many goals as the Rockets have in the first three games. While the Hawks leading scorer is having a heck of a series, Kelowna's leading point producers, Shane McColgan, has just two assists.

• While the final score reads 6-3, this was essentially a one goal game. The Rockets pulled goaltender Adam Brown late in the game when the score was 4-3. The Hawks would score two empty net goals to make it a three goal differential.

• Speaking of Brown, he was extremely sharp in the first period when the Hawks really poured on the pressure. Brown was able to get the home team out of the period down by just a goal. It was another 20 shot period, something that has been common place in the first three games. The Hawks don't start slowly. That is a good sign of a championship team.

• Brett Bulmer sat out game three after being suspended by the WHL after receiving a five minute major for kneeing in game two. With the Rockets determined effort last night, the addition of Bulmer may have been enough to help the Rockets earn their first win of the series. The player Bulmer hit, William Wrenn, did play Tuesday night and didn't appear to be laboring in anyway.

• The Hawks played the game without 20 year-old Oliver Gabriel, but a familiar face entered the scene. Gabriel sat out game three with a suspension but 17 year-old Brendan Leipsic returned after missing the first two games with an undisclosed injury. Leipsic was very good and his breakaway pass to Brad Ross in the second period was just one example how good this 1994 born player is.

• I was really impressed with the play of 21 year-old Brett Lyon. This was Lyon's best effort in a Rockets uniform. The Grand Forks BC resident was solid on the fore check and played a determined game. Lyon was rewarded by coach Huska, who played him down the stretch when the Hawks were clinging to a 4-3 lead.

• Hawks goaltender Mac Carruth struggled last night, especially with long shots. The 19 year-old had trouble tracking the puck. Carruth was beaten on all three goals from long range. Give the Rockets forwards credit though for creating traffic in front of him. Carruth was even beaten by defenceman MacKenzie Johnston on a long range blast, but the goal was called off on an off side.

• I thought this was the most composed the Rockets defensive core has looked in the series. Sure, the puck was still turned over and their youth couldn't be hidden, but it was a much better effort by the group. The worst the d-core looked was obviously on the Hawks 3rd goal, when as a unit, they couldn't clear the zone no matter how hard they tried. Colton Sissons ended up getting his pocket picked by Noebels, who passed it to Bartschi, who faked a shot and sent it to Rattie for his second of the game.

• Overall, this was a fun game to call. The flow was extremely good in the second period as the Rockets elected to exchange scoring chances. The d-core was pro-active in joining the attack, which set them up for disaster if the puck was turned over, but in retrospect, it was the right move as it caused the Hawks more headaches in the defensive zone.

• Game four is Thursday. It should be fun. The Rockets have not been swept in a series since 1994, when as the Tacoma Rockets, the team was swept in 4 games by the Hawks.

Great game, tough result

Rockets fall 6-3 to the Hawks and now trail the series 3 games to none.
More later.

Rockets game notes vs. Hawks

Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets face the Portland Winterhawks in game three of a best of seven Western Conference Quarter Final Series. The Hawks have a 2-0 lead after a 6-3 win in game one and a 4-0 victory in game two. Game three and four in the series are tonight and Thursday in Kelowna with game five Saturday in Portland. These two teams are meeting for the second straight post season after a six game series (Hawks 4 Rockets 2) in round two a year ago. These two teams were separated by 30 points in the regular season standings with the Rockets going 0-3-0-1 against Portland. The Hawks out-scored the Rockets 15-9 in the four regular season games, but two of the four were decided by a single goal.

Game Two Recap: Mac Carruth made 20 saves in a 4-0 shutout over the Kelowna Rockets. Sven Bartschi collected three assists and now has five helpers in two games. Brad Ross, Troy Rutkowski, Ty Rattie and Tyler Wotherspoon scored for the Hawks. Adam Brown made 35 saves in the loss. The Rockets were 0 for 5 on the power play and surrendered a shorthanded goal.   

Game One Recap: Zach Franko scored once and added an assist as the Rockets fell 6-3 to the Portland Winterhawks. Cody Chikie and Colton Sissons also scored while Brett Bulmer added two assists. The Rockets held a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes and trailed 3-2 after two periods before the Hawks scored three-third period goals in the win. The Rockets and Hawks were both 1 for 4 on the power play. Portland out-shot Kelowna 55-29.   

Playoff Performers: The Rockets have 252 games of WHL playoff experience. Spencer Main leads the Rockets in playoff experience with 34 games. Shane McColgan leads the way in points with 9+15=24 in 28 career playoff games. McColgan had 20 points (8+11=19) in ten playoff games last season. Brett Bulmer (24) Jesse Astles (23) and Brett Lyon (22) round out the top five in terms of playoff experience.   

Who’s Hot: Shane McColgan had his eleven game playoff point streak snapped Saturday night. McColgan had a point in every playoff game last season…Brett Bulmer has twelve goals in his last fifteen games…Zach Franko has 2+4=6 in his last five games (regular season included)…Myles Bell has six points (2+4=6) in his last eight games (regular season included).   

This and That: The Rockets are 5 and 4 in their last nine game 3’s dating back to the 2008 playoffs…The Rockets lost the first two road games of a playoff series against Everett (2010) before winning the next two games on home ice. In that series, the home team won six of the seven games…The Rockets were shut out Saturday night in game two. Prior to that, the Rockets suffered a 4-0 loss in game five against Everett on March 26/2010….The Rockets gave up six goals in game one. The Rockets also gave up 6 goals in a game two loss to the Hawks in last year’s second round playoff series. Ryan Johansen had three goals in the win on that night…..MacKenzie Johnston’s assist in game one was his first career playoff point in 11 career games…. These two teams have met twice in the second round of the playoffs. In 1994, the Hawks eliminated the Tacoma Rockets in four straight games. Last season the Hawks eliminated the Kelowna Rockets in six games…Seven members of the Rockets made their WHL playoff debuts against Portland Friday night including veteran d-man Myles Bell. Bell has played 189 career games but had never experienced a playoff games after three seasons with the playoff-less Regina Pats….Brett Bulmer has 7+8=15 in 25 career playoff games. Bulmer had three goals in last season’s second round series against the Hawks…The Rockets were 4 and 1 in five playoff road games last season. The only loss was in game two of a second round playoff series in Portland….Rockets head coach Ryan Huska is coaching in his 66^th career playoff game…Zach Franko became the first player since Justin Keller (2004-2005,2005-2006) to play in all 72 regular season games. Franko has played in 144 consecutive regular season games…The Rockets won over 30 games (31) this season. Since moving to Kelowna for the start of the 1995-96 campaign, the Rockets have registered 30+ wins 14 times over 17 seasons….When Brett Bulmer scores the Rockets are 14-3-2-3. In other words, the team has lost only three times in regulation when Bulmer lights the lamp…Since the Christmas break the Rockets are 10-7-2-2 in 21 road games….This season the Rockets were involved in a league high fifteen games that required a shootout. The Rockets were 9 and 6 in those fifteen shootout situations…Tyrell Goulbourne led the team with 17 fighting majors. Mitchell Chapman had eleven….The Rockets were involved in 37-one goal games this season. The Rockets were 18-9-4-6 in those thirty-seven games.

Things that make me go hmm...

• Let me go on record as stating I don't think Brett Bulmer is a dirty player. He really isn't. I think Portland Winterhawk fans may be questioning that after what they witnessed Saturday night, but Bulmer is an emotional player that obviously went over the line. Is Kamloops Blazers forward Brendan Ranford considered a dirty player? Nope. Yet he lost his cool last season and made contact with a linesman as he was being escorted to the penalty box. Ranford was promptly suspended. So while I suggested the kneeing incident on William Wrenn would be considered a 'dirty play', I don't consider Bulmer a dirty player. Clearly frustrated, he went over the line much like Ranford did. It happens, even to the most skilled players on a team.
  
• Whether Bulmer plays in game three or not isn't the Rockets real problem. The problem lies with other players stepping up their game in an effort to make this a series. Shane McColgan was one of the main reasons the series last year against the Hawks went six games. McColgan was tremendous, especially in game one. So far, McColgan has just one assist.
• We have to remember that the Rockets were playing without their top defensive defenceman in the first two games of this series. Mitchell Chapman, who was named the teams top d-man at the year end awards banquet, is out with an upper body injury. The 19 year-old would be blocking shots and would definitely make life a lot tougher along the boards for the Hawks forwards if he was in the line up. I can't recall one real good hit that a Rockets d-man has made on a Hawks forward in the first two games.
  
• Without Chapman the Rockets are icing just one 19 year-old player. That one 19 year-old player is Brett Bulmer. The Hawks have nine-19 year-old's on their roster.
  
• Would I consider Hawks forward Brad Ross a dirty player? He has a spotty track record, but in saying that, how composed has he been in this series. Ross was like a choir boy in the first two games. It looks like Head Coach Mike Johnston has him reeled in pretty good. Ross is clearly a better player when he keeps his composure, plays with an edge, but doesn't take bad penalties. Mission accomplished in the first two games.
  
• We had a lot of discussion on this blog Sunday about how Adam Brown's mom was treated in Portland. I am sad to hear her experience wasn't a good one. I would hope any parent of a visiting player would be treated with respect while watching his or her son play. I know that if a Hawks fan was being abused at a Kelowna game, and I saw it happening, I would step in to defending that person. Friendly banter is part of it. Being rude, offensive and making the entire experience miserable for a visiting fan is unacceptable.
• The officiating. I haven't said much about it in the first two games because it really hasn't been a factor. I've just accepted it for what it is. It is never really that good and that won't change. I prefer the two teams being allowed to play rather than the referee's being whistle happy. For the most part the first two games haven't been over-officiated.
  
• I am patriotic, but sometimes I wonder if we are wasting our time with the national anthems at the start of the game. It is tough for organizations to find real good singers to belt out the anthems and at times it can be ugly. But when it is done right look out. How about the national anthem duet before Saturday's game in Portland. Outstanding.
  
• No cheerleaders in Portland. Very disappointed. Haha.
• The Rockets lost all three games at home to the Hawks in last years playoff series. The scores were 5-4, 4-2 and 4-2.
  
• Overall, the Rockets are 5 and 5 in their last ten home playoff games dating back to the start of the 2010 playoffs. The teams last home ice playoff win was in game two of an opening round series with Prince George in last years playoffs. The Rockets beat the Cougars 7-4 on March 26th.
• A Rockets fan was complaining the other day about Sven Bartschi being in the WHL. "He's too good. He should be in the NHL, not playing major junior hockey". He may have a point, but let's celebrate the fact we can see these type of players at 'our' level rather than witnessing NHL teams rushing underage players into pro hockey. We've seen too many 19 or younger players pushed into the NHL where they crash and burn. I wish a steadfast rule was in place that stated if you are 19 or younger, that player is prohibited from playing pro until his junior season is over.